MINUTES Academic Affairs
Committee 5
April 2000
The
Academic Affairs Committee (AAC) was called to order by Chair Wherland at 3:14
p.m., Wednesday, 5 April 2000, in Todd 239.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Bitter (for Guzman), Folwell, Fowler, Jamison, Reed, Warner, and
Wherland.
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Baker, Blatner, Hoeksel, Jankowski, Law, Lowinger, Vreeland, Zuiches,
ASWSU representatives Bachtel, Brunkow-Mather, Carmichael, and GPSA
representative Byington.
VISITORS: Linda Schoepflin, Summer Session Director, Jane
Sherman, Associate Vice Provost, and Kenneth Struckmeyer, Ombudsman.
The
minutes of the 22 March meeting were approved.
Undergraduate
Certificates/Student Development Transcript
Al
Jamison, Director of SALC and Career Services, described how transcripts have
been used at other universities to record student development. Jamison said that these co-curricular
transcripts offer a way to identify and formally recognize student’s activities
outside the classroom. According to
Virginia Thomas, Leadership Center Coordinator, these transcripts gained
popularity in the 1980s and today about 10-15 % colleges use them, including
Oregon State. Jamison noted that they
tend to be used at smaller institutions because of mechanics of having to track
more information for inclusion on the student’s transcript. The co-curricular transcript benefits the
student by acknowledging the student’s out-of-class experiences and may help to
show skills that prospective employers are interested in. From an educator’s perspective, the
co-curricular transcript may help faculty and advisors convey the importance of
building experiences outside the classroom; as a result of this structured
accounting on the transcript, students are more likely to seek/think/reflect on
these co-curricular activities. Jamison
pointed out the organizational complexities and difficulties of evaluating and
validating co-curricular activities for the historical record. He said there are different types: portfolio, chronological, and developmental
competency (with a mentor). Finally, he
suggested that the most important part of this type of transcript is the
process that the student undergoes in getting validated for worthy experiences
during their academic careers.
Members noted that it would be worthwhile
to have a formal process for the university to recognize excellence on the
transcript. A member noted that it
doing so would be consistent with current educational theory on assessment. A member pointed out that this would be
similar to including formal undergraduate certificates on the transcript.
Members greed to postpone discussion
until the fall when Virginia Thomas could be invited to attend and when further
information could be obtained about undergraduate certificates currently being
given.
Barriers to meeting student
learning needs
Jane
Sherman, Provost’s Office, said that the HEC Board has asked for information
about barriers to meeting student learning needs and asked members to send
their input to her for inclusion in her report.
Election of Chair and Vice
Chair
Members
elected Scot Wherland to chair; Ken Struckmeyer to vice chair. Members confirmed the following liaison
memberships: Keith Blatner will be on
the Admissions Subcommittee until Aug. 15; Ray Folwell, Catalog; Academic
Advising and Reinstatement, Fowler; Richard Reed, Budget; and Dennis Warner,
Planning Review.
Design for a Western
Governor’s University Transferable Associate of Arts Degree
Members
approved the WGU Transferable Associate of Arts Degree, provided that after
three years or after 30 students have matriculated to WSU that these students
will be evaluated to verify that they are doing comparably well. It was suggested that before the proposal
goes to the senate that the competencies be clearly shown so that the senators
can see that this A.A. degree is comparable.
Meeting
adjourned at 4:41 p.m.
Becky
Bitter, Secretary Pro Tem
5
April 2000